This week my piece is being released on Abraham Lincoln's birthday. As a resident of New York City and of Irish heritage, I was inspired by the pictures of Lincoln all around the city.
I was deeply inspired by the acts of the draft in which a disproportionate amount of those drafted, were Irish. My father was drafted and fought in Vietnam where he was wounded.
I'm reminded that Lincoln, while one of the best presidents "of all time" as Kanye would say "of all time" :) While he is indeed one of our greatest leaders, he did fire on his own people and he did have to occupy wall street, as well as much of Manhattan until the riots protesting the draft were squashed.
In tying even more to Lincoln and NYC, I wanted to pay tribute to one of the greatest poets, and fellow New Yorker, Walt Whitman and his incredible work "Leaves of Grass" where he has his famous poem for Abraham Lincoln "O Captain! My Captain!"
Again, I like Lincoln, I'm just trying to be honest about history. It does have its gritty side, andI believe it is just as important to remember the grit as it is to remember the glamour.